Thanks to Element Associates for sponsoring this post. All opinions are, as always, 100% mine.
Today is the fifth annual Celebrate Shelter Pets Day and, as an animal lover, I can’t think of anyone who more deserves their own day than these beautiful cats and dogs who just want a loving home.
This is the time of year when puppies and kittens top kids’ holiday wish lists, and parents decide to add furry members to the family. It’s the perfect time to adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue — someone like Kuma.
How can you resist that face?!
Each year approximately 3-4 million pets are adopted but, of all the pets in American homes, only 29% were adopted from a shelter or rescue. That means 2.7 million still lose their lives each year for lack of a home.
You can change that.
Visit www.theshelterpetproject.org, where you can search for a pet from a local shelter or rescue group, read adoption success stories and learn valuable information about pet adoption. If you can’t adopt a pet right now, please get involved by Tweeting this to raise awareness.
It's #CelebrateShelterPetsDay! Give a shelter animal a loving home. #ShelterPetLove Click To TweetThe Shelter Pet Project is a collaborative effort between The Humane Society and Maddie’s Fund.
It would be great if all of these animals could have a home. It would be even better if one of them was yours.
Love this! I feel for all of the animals stuck in cages. It’s so sad.
It really IS sad. It’s heart breaking.
Ah that Kuma is darling. I had not realized today was shelter pets day, thanks for sharing.
Our dog Toby was a rescue dog. He had a few issues, but that made us love him even more! Thanks for promoting this…and if you can’t rescue a pet, we can all donate and support those who do!
I can’t resist that face! So many animals are in need of a home!
I always get my pets from a shelter, I’m currently without a dog right now but my last two animals came from the shelter, they died at an old age too.
Our dog, Milo, is a rescue dog. I wouldn’t want to get a dog any other way 🙂
Our current dog was rescued (as was our first dog). I shop at thrift shops and recycle, so I see getting a rescued dog as part of that same frame of mind. Thanks for raising awareness of this as people are considering getting a pet as a holiday gift.
I have several rescue and shelter pets. I wish everyone would consider them when looking for a pet! There are way too many animals in shelters.
Awwwww…. I have been thinking of getting a pet lately. We travel a lot and that is the only thing stopping me. The older I get though, the more I want a dog…
With two rescue pets in our home, I am so glad to see shelter pets get some needed visibility today. Thank you for helping to spread the word. If I could adopt more shelter pets I would (but my husband says no).
I know we love our shelter kitty. We’ve had her three years so far and she’s one of the best pets ever.
B is also for Bubs who is also a shelter rescue puppy, and he thanks you for helping to support and find homes for other shelter animals! I love this cause and the video is awesome!
Shelter pups are the best! All my dogs have been from the shelter and they were loving, healthy, wonderful companions.
We are going after the holidays to get one out of those cages and into our home. Let’s give them a second chance!
It makes me so sad that there are so many animals in need. I don’t know what I’d do without my special puppy. She’s my life.
My shelter dog was the best companion! I had a great experience. Totally support shelters that take in unwanted dogs!
Shelter animals make the best pets. I hope everyone who wants a dog or a cat will get theirs from a shelter. Shelter pets are very loving and appreciative.
Our favorite pooch is a shelter pet and is now loved by many!
It breaks my heart how many animals are without warm, loving homes. I wish I could take them all home!
As the former president of a humane society, I applaud any efforts to support shelter pets in any way possible–adoption, fostering, donations of money and goods. Loved seeing this today!
Thanks you for writing this post, Lois, because I really wanted to but just couldn’t today. All of our pets are from shelters, and you know I’d do anything to raise awareness to adopt, adopt, adopt from shelters! Thanks for spreading the word. I wish I could adopt more but Gary says 3 is enough!
All but one of my pets are shelter pets. Getting people to adopt instead of buy is one of my passions.
Kuma just melted my heart! You know me, if I could I would take them all home. I came close several years ago when we had a total of 18 different animals in our home, the vast majority of which were rescues and included guinea pigs, rabbits, snake, lizards, 4 cats, and our Sammy Beagle. Every animal deserves a loving forever home.
Thanks for sharing this, Lois.
We adopted a shelter dog three years ago. He is now a part of our family and we love him dearly.
If my daughter did not have allergies the pet shelter would be the 1st place i would go to get a dog.
We like to go and pet the animals at our shelter. Our kitty that we adore came from a shelter when he was a kitten.
I didn’t realize this! Shelters do so much good for needy animals.
I love this idea. All pets deserve to be able to stay in a loving home.
I currently have six shelter pets, technically four because two were taken in the parking lot of the shelter where they were turned in. I love all my shelter babies, even moved 3000 miles with four of them.
All pets deserve a nice home to feel safe and loved in!
Such a large number of pets lost. What a sad statistic. Efforts to improve that are highly applauded. I’d love to see it down to zero.
I wish I had known this sooner. I would have tweeted it on the actual day itself. I have had two rescue cats over the years. I definitely see need for this,. I kind of sin pet owners were screened a bit more. Sometimes they do not deserve to own a pet especially when they just abandon them or mistreat them.
It is good to have a special time to look out for pets who need a loving home.
Shelter pets are the best (I think) I was so very lucky to get Sally from the dogs home. x
I love animals and wish all pets had such a nice home where they get the love they deserve!
We spend a lot of time visiting animals at shelters. Since we can’t have one at home, this is really good for the kids, too.
It’s so sad when I see animals waiting so long for a new home… We adopted our cat from a shelter and he has been a great blessing to us.
Everyone thinks my home is the place now. lol Just found homes for 4 puppies that were dumped a couple days ago.
What a great way to raise awareness by having a Shelter Pet Day! We got our pug from a rescue. Dumbest dog ever, but has a heart of gold ♥
We got both of our cats from our local shelter. My daughter volunteers there as well.
We adopted our babies in August so they’re our gifts for the holidays, hehe. They certainly are prepping us for kids in the future 😛
My sister is such an advocate of shelter pets! She helps so many furbabies there!
I love the idea. Its really so sad to know that many pet animals are living without shelter. We should try to adopt pets rather than buying them. Great post indeed.
I have 2 dogs.. One is a shelter dog and the other I “rescued” from my cousin. They are both great. I’ve never had a bad shelter dog.
We got our first cat from a shelter and I do agree that so many more animals needs great loving homes. I didn’t know there was a day like this for them.
Our dog is a rescue, and it’s such an important cause! Thank you for posting this! It really is a great way to raise awareness (and inspire donations)!
🙂
Our cat was a shelter cat. She is the sweetest!